President Danilo Medina says he could run again in 2020
In a televised interview with TV host Jatna Tavarez, President Danilo Medina said he would not say whether he would seek reelection until March 2019. The electoral calendar establishes that political parties need to select their candidates to the 2020 general elections by October 2019. To run for a second reelection, President Danilo Medina would need to promote an amendment of the Constitution. This would be a second time, because he already did so in 2016 in order to run for reelection in 2016. The 2015 Constitution impedes a President from office for more than two terms.
“The new Political Parties Law establishes deadlines for everything, including … a date on which the parties have to register the candidates and establishes a date for the primaries and that is in the second semester of next year. Now, we inside the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) have decided that we would talk about it in March of next year, and at that moment I will fix my position before the country; meanwhile I want to make a good government,” said the President speaking from the Presidential Palace. He expressed his opinion that once the PLD chooses its presidential candidate, all members of the party would rally in support.
He defended the checks and controls his government has instated to control corruption, and stressed the Judicial Branch operates with complete independence.
He defended his reticence to stand for questioning by journalists. He said these generate controversies and said that he prefers “to work.”
While President Medina is not available for interview by the working press, the administration is best known for its major spending in government propaganda to highlight the work of the President through multiple channels in all media. Just last Monday, 13 August 2018, the Presidency published four page spreads in the leading Dominican print media to highlight government achievements during the first two years of the 2016-2020 term. The publication coincided with the successful happening of the Green March on the previous Sunday that was the leading story of the Monday newspapers. The front pages highlighted the success of the protest were covered by the advertising feature paid for by the Presidency. Media analysts considered the promotion cost taxpayers upwards of RD$10 million.
Coinciding with the President’s conversation with TV host Tavarez, the leading opposition party, the PRM, published a report on the two first years of President Danilo Medina’s second term. The report mentions the Medina administration has managed US$78 billion in resources from 2012 to 2018, but criticized major deficiencies in security, combating corruption, jobs, child mortality, quality of education, access to eating, and public debt.
Source: DR1, Listindiario
Aug 20, 2018
Category: DR News |